Documents you need before you move abroad
Which documents need apostille or certified translation, how long each takes, and why starting late is the most common relocation delay.
Almost every relocation asks for the same core set of documents, and the delays almost never come from the documents themselves. They come from certification, which is slow, sequential and impossible to rush once you have started late.
Arrivon provides guidance on this only. We do not issue, certify, translate or verify documents, and we cannot advise on whether a specific document will be accepted by a specific authority.
What to prepare
Start with the ones that need certification, since those have the longest lead times.
The two processes that take longest
Apostille and legalisation
Certification that a document is genuine, recognised internationally under the Hague Convention.
Certified translation
Usually must be done by a translator recognised in the destination country, not the country of origin.
Sequencing
The order matters because certification is sequential. A document usually has to be apostilled before it is translated, since the apostille itself often needs translating too. Doing it the other way round means paying for the translation twice.
Work backwards from your appointment date. If legalisation applies, allow three months. If only apostille applies, allow six weeks including translation. Both are longer than people expect, and neither can be expedited reliably once you are inside the window.